an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi is a South Korean singing and dancing quintet(by now continuing as a duo as of December 2010, due to three of the members filing lawsuit against SME) formed under SM Entertainment in 2003.In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Ki (동방신기); they were later introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki (東方神起 Tōhōshinki?) under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone in 2005. Their name translates to "Rising Gods of the East".
MEMBERS:
U-KNOW YunHo
Stage Name: U-KNOW | U-know YunHo (유노윤호 or 瑜?允浩)
Real Name: Jung Yun Ho (정윤호)
Birthdate: February 6, 1986
Birthplace: GwangJu (광주)
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 66 kg
Blood Type: A
Hobbies: Music, reading, playing sports, composing music
Specialty: Dancing
Position: Bass vocal
HERO JaeJoong
Stage Name: HERO | YoungWoong JaeJoong (영웅재중 or 英雄在中)
Real Name: Kim Jae Joong (김재중)
Birthdate: January 26, 1986
Birthplace: Chungnam (충남 or 忠南)
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 63 kg
Blood Type: O
Hobbies: Playing computer games, listening to music, playing the piano, composing, cooking
Specialty: Singing
Position: Main vocal
XIAH JunSu
Stage Name: XIAH | Xiah JunSu (시아준수)
Real Name: Kim Jun Su (김준수)
Birthdate: December 15, 1986, though his parents registered him on January 1, 1987
Birthplace: Gyeonggi (경기 or 京畿道)
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 63 kg
Blood Type: B
Hobbies: Piano, soccer
Specialty: Singing, dancing
Position: Middle high vocal
MICKY YooChun
Stage Name: MICKY | Micky YooChun (믹키유천)
Real Name: Park Yoo Chun (박유천)
Birthdate: June 4, 1986
Birthplace: Seoul (서울 or 漢城)
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 60 kg
Blood Type: O
Hobbies: Composing music/lyrics/rap, piano, RC카 드라이빙,튜닝(RCcar driving, tuning)
Specialty: Singing, composing
Position: Middle low vocal
MAX ChangMin
Stage Name: MAX | ChoiKang ChangMin (최강창민)
Real Name: Shim Chang Min (심창민)
Birthdate: February 18, 1988
Birthplace: Seoul (서울 or 漢城)
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 61 kg
Blood Type: B
Hobbies: Music, singing, eating
Specialty: Singing, dancing
Position: High vocal
DEBUT
Before their debut, the group was offered three tentative names: O Jang Yukbu (오장육부 lit. The Five Visceras), Jeonseoleul Meokgo Saneun Gorae (전설을 먹고 사는 고래 lit. A Whale That Eats Legends), and Dong Bang Bul Pae (동방불패, the Korean title of Ashes of Time). They decided on Dong Bang Bul Pae; however, the name was rejected because the Hanja was not aesthetically pleasing, and the name was changed to Dong Bang Shin Gi, which was named by Lee Soo Man's acquaintance.
TVXQ made their debut on December 26, 2003 during a BoA and Britney Spears showcase, where they performed their debut single "Hug" and an a cappella rendition of "O Holy Night" with BoA. The group released their debut single "Hug" in January 14, 2004; it peaked at #4 on the monthly charts and sold a total of 169,532 copies, making it the fourteenth best-selling record of the year. Their second single, "The Way U Are" (July 2004), debuted at #2 spot on the charts, becoming the ninth best-selling-record of the year, selling 214,069 copies.TVXQ released their debut album, Tri-Angle (October 2004). Tri-angle debuted atop the charts and sold a total of 242,580 copies, making it the year's eighth best-selling record.
In April 2005, TVXQ debuted in Japan under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone with the single "Stay with Me Tonight". They released their second Japanese single, "Somebody to Love", before returning to Korea and releasing their second Korean album Rising Sun. Rising Sun debuted atop the charts and became the fourth best-selling-record of 2005 with a total of 222,472 copies sold. TVXQ ended the year with two releases: their third Japanese single, "My Destiny", and a Korean single with label-mate Super Junior, "Show Me Your Love". The latter debuted atop the charts and sold 49,945 copies, making it the thirty-fifth best-selling record of the year. At the end of the year, TVXQ received the Best Music Video award for the song "Rising Sun" and the People's Choice Award at the 2005 Mnet KM Music Video Festival.
